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Heading into Monday’s Winter (not quite so) Indoor Classic against New Jersey, Spezza had the third most shootout goals in the league with five, trailing only Devils Ilya Kovalchuk and Zach Parise, both of whom had six.

Spezza was 83.3% successful on shootouts, having connected on 5-of-6. Only Kovalchuk’s 6-of-7 (85.7%) was more impressive.

So what gives? Why is Spezza so good in shootouts this season? In 2010-11, he was 1-of-5 (20%). In 2009-10, he was 3-of-7 (42.9%). And in 2008-09 he was 3-of-10 (30%).

“I don’t really know, there’s no real difference,” Spezza said after Monday’s morning skate, before coming up with a theory. “I’m going in with more confidence ... it’s a confidence thing for sure, when you’re scoring in shootouts and believing in what you’re trying to do. I’ve gone into my shootouts with a clear mind, not overthinking it too much. Whereas in past, lose two, three, four in a row ... start maybe overthinking it a little bit. I’ve just kind of gone in and taken what’s given to me.”

So why are we talking shootouts when Monday’s game was decided in overtime on Daniel Alfredsson’s deja vu power play goal? Because Spezza is the guy who finally solved Martin Brodeur in the third. On a breakaway. By putting a shot through the gap between the goalie’s legs, which has become Spezza’s go-to choice.

“I’ve scored a bunch five-hole,” he said. “I like going top glove, five-hole and I’ve got a backhand move. I try to have three moves to all three parts of the net and I kind of take what’s open.

“I used to go top glove a lot more, but now goalies have adjusted. I try to have three options. One to the middle of the net, one to the top of the net on each side and a deke. That’s the advantage I have..because I’ve scored I have a clear mind going in, so I feel I can deke if I have to. I go in with all three options.”

Why would Spezza reveal this kind of information in the newspaper? Because it doesn’t matter. If teams and goalies haven’t been scouting him on video all season, they’re not going to try to figure Spezza’s tendencies out through a newspaper column.

Even if it is the widely respected Cheapseats.

STARTS AND STOPS

Erik Karlsson became the fifth skater in the NHL to pass the 1,000-minute mark in ice time - joining Ryan Suter, Jay Bouwmeester, Brian Campbell, Dan Girardi. Karlsson has averaged about 25 and a half minutes per night. “We talked to him about it early, when I got here, said we’d like to play him 30 minutes but we want to make sure they’re all for us,” coach Paul MacLean said after the morning skate. “We’ll only play him 15 if he’s going to play 15 for us and 15 for them. Right now he’s playing 27 for us and we like that.” ... Chris Phillips left the game in the second period with an upper body injury. It could have something to do with the upper body injury that forced him to miss his second game in five years last week.

STUFF I THINK I THUNK

The best news is, next time you’re back at the rink you won’t be subjected to anymore of those annoyingly stupid “Vote Alfie/Spezza/Michalek” clips on the videoboard. Mixing sports and politics just never works ...Zenon Konopka celebrated his 31st birthday Monday. “It says on my cake I’m getting old but I feel my maturity level is more like that of an 18-year-old,” the Senators centre said during our morning visit to Konopka’s Korner.

Among the family and friends in town from the Niagara-on-the-Lake region visiting their boy Zenon was “cousin Jagz”, aka Rob Jagodzinski. Cousin Jagz is a 27-year-old former defenceman who stands 6-foot-4 and weighs either 220-or-243 pounds, depending on whether you believe “the program” or the scale in the Senators dressing room.

Anyway, cousin Jagz was on the bench during the morning skate and in the room after it. He must have hugged or given props to every player on the team. At least once. “I have a brother, but Zenon’s like my other brother,” said cousin Jagz. “I’m his brother he never had. The family is proud of him. He’s taken me in this room, I’ve met all the guys. I appreciate it. I’m having the time of my life.”

BETWEEN PERIODS

What’s Martin Brodeur’s favorite television show? Most recently it was the HBO 24/7 special that led up to the Rangers-Flyers winter classic. “I love it,” Brodeur said Monday morning. “It gives an unbelievable perspective to the fans, even for us, to see how other teams are doing things, going about their business. Especially for me, being in one place at one time. I know this. I know how (Devils GM) Lou (Lamoriello) runs everything. But outside, I don’t know. It’s interesting to me.”

Brodeur was also amused by the quirky star of the show, Philadelphia goalie Ilya Bryzgalov. “I dont know what he’s saying half the time, but it’s pretty interesting, that’s for sure,” Brodeur said. “Makes for good TV. My kids love it. They think it’s the funniest thing in the world. So that’s good.”

Even if Bryzgalov is keeping alive the notion that people who play the position are generally weird. “We were cleaning up our act as goalies,” Brodeur said with a laugh. “He’s kind of really bringing us back.”